Jacques Arsenault, tenor

Acadian tenor Jacques Arsenault began his musical career as a virtuoso accordionist before discovering his vocal talents, first as a baritone. He obtained his Master of Music from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Prince Edward Island, with further studies at the Franz-Schubert-Institut in Austria. Jacques sang Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte and Gastone in La Traviata for Opera on the Avalon, the Gamekeeper in Rusalka and Roy Johnson in The Light in the Piazza with Opera NUOVA, as well as Orphée in Orphée aux enfers, and Léon in Signor Deluso at the University of Alberta.

Following his transition to tenor, Jacques made his professional debut in 2015, singing and dancing with gusto in the role of Pritschitsch in Edmonton Opera’s The Merry Widow. Jacques joined the cast as Kaspar in Opera Nuova’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, and starred as Archie in Archiebaldo, Cowtown Opera’s raunchy operatic cabaret about the tangled romantic life of the famous comic book character.

In the summer of 2016, Jacques displayed his amazing step-dancing skills over the course of twenty-one performances, portraying several roles in The Bells of Baddeck in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This charming music-drama was created by Lorna MacDonald with music by Dean Burry, based on the life of Alexander Graham Bell.

Jacques returned as Archie in sold-out performances of Archiebaldo, presented by Calgary Opera’s outdoor summer festival, “Opera in the Village”.

Recent highlights for Jacques in 2017 include the role of The Young Man in Miracle Theatre’s production of The Last Romance in Prince George, BC, as well as his debut as Ambroise Lepine in Louis Riel (Somers) in the Canadian Opera Company’s production at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa.